A critical look at the anthropogenic global warming conjecture

The conjecture of AGW (human-caused global warming) is interesting science – but I would argue it is much more contentious than is generally supposed.

I guess most “contrarians” are driven by the idea that the AGW conjecture has been hijacked by various folks to serve some nefarious agenda: anti-capitalism, displaced post-christian guilt, anti-americanism, and so forth.

In the popular imagination the media has created a consensus where that symbol of capitalism the car is deeply implicated with the idea of “global warming”. We have to tax/cut down/ban/ the use of gas-guzzling vehicles (especially in the good ‘ole USA of course!).

The livestock sector is…responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent. This is a higher share than transport

Now when you think about it, especially in the current climate of “climate change hysteria”, that is a pretty amazing assertion. It sets a bit of a different perspective, no?

So who is LEAD? If you’re thinking it’s some conservative think-tank “funded by big oil” (the knee-jerk response to inconvenient truths for those sympathetic to Gore’s Incovenient Truth), you’d be quite wrong. LEAD (Livestock, Environment and Development LEAD Initiative) is a multi-institutional initiative of FAO formed “to promote ecologically sustainable livestock production systems”. OK, I hear you ask, who is FAO? Well they are the FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS. Now these good people are NOT contrarians and deniers (what a surprise!). In fact in the same report from LEAD we read the perfectly politically correct: